tours

Montreal, a culturally rich and unique city, will afford attendees to opportunity to visit many fine representations of civil engineering projects. Behind the scenes technical tours will give civil engineering professional a unique perspective on the various projects which incorporate the city's history, charm and fundamental needs.

CANCELLED: Silo No. 5 Tour

Wednesday, October 17

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

McGill University Life Sciences Complex

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Center for Sustainable Development

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Hydro-Quebec

1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Saint Lawrence Seaway

Saturday, October 22

2:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Lachine Canal

TECHNICAL TOURS

Wednesday, October 17

Recently awarded the LEED Gold Certification, the Life Sciences Complex is the only university-owned laboratory building of its caliber in Quebec. The tour will provide insight into the planning, design, construction and operation of this building, which grants its scientists and researchers with state of the art facilities and equipment while meeting high sustainability objectives.

Located in downtown Montreal, the Centre for Sustainable Development is a non-profit organization initiative which houses eight groups with social and environmental missions. The Center's goal is to operate a LEED platinum certified building that will serve as a focal point for thinking, education, innovation and meetings on sustainable development in Montreal.

The five-storey building includes a green rooftop, living walls with built-in hydration systems, and geothermal heating. In addition, the designers purposely requested an exception to municipal bylaws to exclude a parking lot. Many of the materials used to build the structure were recycled or re-purposed from other industrial projects.

The tour will be hosted by Normand Roy, Project Manager and brainchild of this truly unique sustainable endeavor.

Beauharnois Generating Station, one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world

Equipped with 38 generating units stretching for nearly a kilometre, Beauharnois is one of Québec's most powerful generating stations. It also plays a key part in Hydro-Québec’s development because of its geographic position near Montréal and the Ontario and U.S. borders.

You'll be amazed by this monument to human know-how built more than 75 years ago and with the Art Deco architecture. It's no wonder the power plant is one of Québec's outstanding heritage buildings.

Come learn more about Beauharnois, its history and its particular features through this guided tour.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened to navigation in 1959. Construction of the 189-mile (306-kilometer) stretch of the Seaway between Montreal and Lake Ontario is recognized as one of the most challenging engineering feats in history. Seven locks were built in the Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the Seaway, five Canadian and two U.S., in order to lift vessels to 246 feet (75 meters) above sea level.

The St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project was recognized by ASCE in 1960 with their prestigious Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award. The St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes combine to form “ Hwy H2O” which is a 3,700-kilometer (2,300 mile) marine highway that runs between Canada and the United States. Hwy H2O flows directly into the Canadian commercial, industrial and agricultural heartland, home to some 100 million people, roughly one quarter of the Canada/U.S. combined population.

For this 2 hours tour, there will be a presentation of St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, a visit to the Operations Center, located in St. Lambert, this is the main control room where all vessels entering Seaway are taken in charge. The group will be taken on Lock #1 to see the mooring of a vessel- of course if a vessel is transiting in the lock while the visit occurs. There will also be a presentation by our Corporate Manager, Civil Engineering, on the civil engineering major projects done over the years and in the future. We will travel by charter bus to the tour site. Attendees are required to bring their own safety shoes, while other PPE will be provided by the Seaway. No one under 18 admitted, unless enrolled in college.

Member/Non-Members:$45 by 10/4/2012; $60 after 10/4/2012.

Student: $25 by 10/4/2012; $35 after 10/4/2012.

Saturday, October 20

The Lachine Canal (Canal de Lachine in French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, Lasalle and Sud-Ouest. The Canal is more than an inland waterway, as it is also an accessible urban park that astonishes visitors with its rich history.

Over the last two decades, the canal has seen a large increase in residential and commercial development. In what was originally a very heavy industrial neighborhoods, Pointe-Saint-Charles and Saint-Henri have become trendy. Real estate values has risen, and developers have once again focused on the area, turning the abandoned industrial facilities into prestigious loft buildings, and some of Montreal's most desirable residential areas for condo owners.

In 2002, the Lachine Canal was reopened as a pleasure boating area, and the banks of the canal were redeveloped. The banks of the canal offer walking, bicycling and roller-blading.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Lionel-Groulx is the closest subway station. From there, the tour will walk eastward to the Saint-Gabriel Lockstation, and then come back to the market at the end of the visit. This is a 3 km long, 90 to 105 minutes roundtrip walk and tour.

Major landmarks in this part of the canal are: the market, former factories transformed into condominiums, old swing-bridges, the lock, remnants of headraces and tailraces used for waterpower, the (industrial) archeology site of Pointe-des-Seigneurs, and new urban renewal projects.

Participants only need to wear clothes appropriate to the weather and good walking shoes.Other options for the walking duration of the tour will be provided on Friday, before the tour.